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No. 6l0,887. Patented Sept. 20, I898. W. F. BOSSERT & W. D. POIEROY. AUTOIA TIC CIRCUIT BREAKING SWITCH.

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No. 6l0,887. Patgnfed Sept. 20, 1898.

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AUTOIATIC CIRCUIT BREAKING SWITCH.

(Application filed July 12,1997

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UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

WVILLIAM F. BOSSERT AND WILLIAM D. POMEROY, OF UTICA, NElV YORK, ASSIGNORS TO THE BOSSERT ELECTRIC CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, OF

SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT-BREAKING SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 610,887, dated September 20, 1898.

Application filed July 12, 1897. Serial No. 644,370. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM F. Bossnnr and WILLIAM D. POMEROY, of Utica, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Circuit-Breaking Switches; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and numerals of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

Figure 1 shows a front view of an automatic circuit-breaking switch in connection with a diagram of the lines and circuits, the switch being in this figure shown closed. Fig. 2 shows a side elevation with the switch in the same position. Fig. 3 shows a side elevation with the switch open and diagram showing the circuits. Fig. 4 shows a vertical section of certain parts on the central or middle line and partially on another section-line. Fig. 5 shows a section of a solenoid-catch in connection with diagrams of the circuit.

Referring to the reference letters and figures in a more particular description of the device, 1 indicates the base, which is of insulating material and supports the working parts.

2 2 and 3 3 indicate two sets of pole-posts secured in the base and projecting parallel therefrom. These posts are adapted to receive the movable connectors 4 and 5, provided with eyes on either end adapted to slip onto the top of the post in establishing connections or slip off in breaking the elec tric connections. The connectors 4 and 5 are mounted on a vertically-moving slide 0, which may be made in whole or in part of insulating material and is provided with projecting ends 6, which run in slotted ways 7 in the hollow posts 8 and 9, secured to the base. The posts 8 and 9 contain springs 10,

operating to move the slide 6,with its attachments, out of engagement with the pole-posts. For operating the switch there is provided a forked bell-crank lever 11, pivoted at 12 to a fixed cross-bar between the tops of the posts 8 and 9 and connected by a link 13 with the slide carrying the connections 4 and 5. The lever is provided with a handle 12. The handle is provided with a rounded hook projection 13, with which engages the catch 14, pivoted at 15 to a bracket secured to the base. The catch 14 is provided with a forked arm which engages or straddles the solenoid-magnet stem 16, having a head at its lower end, as shown. The stem 16 has also secured thereon an armature plate or disk 17, and the solenoid-magnet consists of a core 18, secured by a bracket 19 to the base, and several convolutions 20 of conductor surrounding the fixed core 18 and the movable core or stem 16. The solenoid-coil is made of a size of conductor which is adapted to carry the entire current of the circuit which the switch controls, and the number of convolutions will be determined by the amount of force required to operate the parts, as hereinafter set forth. The ends of the solenoidcoil are secured by bolts or fasteners 21 and 22, extending through the base and which also act as current conductors. The fas- 7 5 tenor 21 is connected by the strap 23 on the back of the base with the base of the polepost 2.

On an arm 24, extending from the tops of the posts 8 and 9, is supported a coil 25 of the solenoid. This solenoid is provided with a laterally-movable core, consistingin part of an iron or magnetic metal portion 26 and in part of a brass or non-magnetic metal portion 27, secured together at their adjacent ends. The '8 5 core is also provided with a head 27 and a spring 28 is provided, operating between the heat 27 and the end of the spool portion of the coil. The spring and head end of the solenoid-core are inclosed in a cap 27 This cap may be made removable. The supporting-arm 24 also is formed to provide in part a notch 24, into which the shank or neck portion of the lever 11 is adapted to move. The balance of the notch or one side is in part 5 formed by the contact-piece 29, supported from the arm 24 by an insulating-piece 30. The end of the solenoid-core 27 operates as a catch when projected, as shown in Fig. 5, to secure the lever-handle 11 by engaging in the loo notch 11 in the side of the handle.

One end of the solenoid-coil 25 is connected, as shown at a in dotted lines, with the arm 24, while the other end is connected, as shown by the dotted lines I), through the-resistancecoil X, with the shank of the pole-post 22, or, perhaps more properly speaking, with one of the connections extending to the generator. The contact-piece 29 is connected, as shown by dotted lines o, with the shank of the polepost 3, or, perhaps more properly speaking, with the other current-wire from the generator. The main circuit through the switch when closed is as follows: From the generator through the circuit G to the pole-posts 2, thence through the connector 4 to the polepost 2, thence through the strap 23 to one end of the solenoid-coil 20, thence from the other end of the solenoid-coil 22 on the line L. The return-circuit comes in on the line L to the pole-post 3 thence through the connector 5 to the pole-post 3, thence through the connection G back to the generator. In one or both of the connections G and G, extending to the generator, there is to be provided a main hand circuit-breaking switch.

While the switch is closed, operating under normal conditions, the current passing through the solenoid-coil 20 will not be Sllfficient to operate or attract the solenoid stem or core 16 with its connecting parts. In order to regulate or determine the movement of the stem or core 16, there may be provided thereon a weight or series of weights 16?. When the current becomes excessive, the action on the solenoid 20 will be sufficient to operate the core with its armature and draw it up, as the construction is shown in the several figures. When this is done, the head on the lower end of the core or stem 16 operates the catch 14, releasing the lever-handle 11.- When released, the handle 12 and parts operate immediately, moving from the position in which they are shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to the position shown in Fig. 3, this operation being produced by the springs 10 in the bases of the posts 8 and 9. In this operation the connectors 4 and 5 are instantly removed from their connecting position between the poleposts 2 and 2 and 3 and 3, respectively, instantly breaking the main circuit at these points. It will be noted that the arrangement of the link 13 with the bell-crank end of the lever-handle 11 is such as to permit the springs 10 to operate the parts when they are not held by the catch 14.

When the parts move into the position shown in Fig. 3 under the influence of the springs, as before described, and the shank of the lever 11 enters the notch in the arm 24 and establishes a connection between the arm and the contact-piece 29, a subcircuit is then established from the pole-post 2 or line attached at this point through the resistancecoil X and through the solenoid-coil 25 back to the line on the generator side at the polepost 3. The solenoid-coil 25,becoming charged under this current, causes the core to move into the position shown in Fig. 5 and against the influence of the spring 28, so that the projecting end engages in the notch 11 in the side of the lever 11. While this current is on the lever-handle 11 cannot be moved from its locked position. This avoids any danger of the attendant reclosing the switch after it has automatically broken the circuit and in reclosing, which is necessarily somewhat slow, endanger the mechanism inthe circuit. Therefore before the attendant can reclose the automatic circuit-breaking switch it will be necessary for him to open the main switch in the circuits to the generator. When the main switch has been opened, the current will be off from the solenoid-coil 25 and the spring 28 will retract the core-catch and release the lever handle 11. The attendant may then reset the automatic circuit-breaking switch by turning the handle from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in the other figures and where it becomes engaged with the catch 14 and is again ready for operation. If on then reclosing the main switch the dangerous or eX-,

cessive current is still on, the automatic switch will again operate and become again caught in its open position, where it cannot be released without again breaking the main circuit between the automatic switch and the generator. If the catch were not provided for securing the switch in open position, the attendant might close the same without operating the main switch, and while the automatic switch would not stay closed while an excessive current was on still during the time that it would be held closed by the operators hand the excessive current would have time to do damage on the mechanism in the circuit.

It is evident that various changes and variations in and from the construction herein described may be made without departing from the equivalents of our construction.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an automatic circuit-breaking switch, an electrical catch for securing the switch in open position, the said catch being operated by a normally open subcircuit closed by the switch in open position with reference to the main circuit, substantially as set forth.

2. In an automatic switch, a main circuit and subcircuit both opened and closed by the same switch mechanism, a catch electrically controlled by mechanism in the main circuit for securing the switch closed in the main circuit, and a catch electrically controlled by mechanism in the subcircuit and securing the switch in open position with reference to the main circuit, and in closed circuit in the sub: circuit, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof we have affixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM F. BOSSERT. \VM. D. POMEROY.

Witnesses PETER P. SMITH, D. II. OoLEeRovE.

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